


Always and Forever

by KitKatWinchester



Category: Iron Man (Movies), MCU, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, But You Might Cry, F/M, Gen, Harley Keener & Peter Parker Friendship, Harley Keener & Peter Parker are Siblings, Harley Keener Misses Tony Stark, It Was As Hard For Me to Write As It Will Be For You to Read, Morgan Stark Needs a Hug (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Morgan Stark Friendship (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Peter Parker & Morgan Stark are Siblings (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Peter Parker Misses Tony Stark, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Precious Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Sorry Not Sorry, Tony Stark Acting as Harley Keener's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark is Good With Kids, Yeah This Isn't a Fix-It Fic, believe me, morgan stark misses tony stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:54:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23380534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitKatWinchester/pseuds/KitKatWinchester
Summary: “He couldn’t die.He couldn’t be dead.It wasn’t fair.”When Tony snaps his fingers, the world changes. More than anything, the worlds of Peter, Harley, and Morgan change. Lost and confused without the man they’d all seen as a father, it’s hard for them to cope, and it takes a bit of a reminder that family and love is forever for all three of them to learn that what they really needed all along was each other.
Relationships: Happy Hogan & Tony Stark, Harley Keener & Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Harley Keener & Peter Parker & Pepper Potts & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) & Tony Stark, Harley Keener & Tony Stark, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 17
Kudos: 72





	1. It's Hard to Say Goodbye (To What You Want Forever)

**Author's Note:**

> Happy happy (very belated) birthday to Grace, one of my best friends in the whole world!! You mentioned this prompt forever ago, and I finally found the inspiration to finish it, so since I can’t actually spend time with you for your birthday, I hope this is a good gift to keep you busy and show how much I love you. <3 <3  
> Fair warning, it’s not an easy read for your emotions, but I promise you, it gets better. And just remember: you picked the prompt. ;)  
> And for anyone else reading the story, I really hope you enjoy it! Feel free to like, comment, and send me any suggestions for future stories! I’d be happy to see them!

_ Peter _

It didn’t seem real.    
  
It had all moved so quickly.  _ Too  _ quickly.    
  
One minute, he was waking up on Titan, Dr. Strange helping him to his feet. The next, he was on a battlefield, ready to take down Thanos and his army. Then, Mr. Stark hugged him.    
  
It had been so quick, but it was nice. It had felt...natural. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he fit somewhere. He felt like everything was going to be okay. 

But, of course, nothing was ever okay for Peter Parker.    
  
The rest of the battle was a blur, but Tony’s snap...that was in slow motion. Peter was across the battlefield, bogged down by whatever creatures Thanos was throwing at them. He caught the struggle out of the corner of his eye. He saw Thanos get ahold of the gauntlet, of the stones. He tried to fight his way out of the creatures to help, but they just kept coming. He saw Tony lunge at Thanos, and his heart skipped a beat. Somewhere deep down, he could feel what was coming. He knew. And he didn’t want that to happen. He wasn’t ready.    
  
He kept fighting, as hard as he could, the feeling in his gut only sinking further. By the time he finally cleared a path, he was too late. He pushed himself out of the crowd of creatures just in time to watch Tony snap his fingers. Part of him wanted to scream--wanted to keep running towards him, as if, somehow, he could save him.    
  
But instead, he froze, staring in awed horror as Thanos’ army slowly crumbled to ash around them. It wasn’t until Thanos himself finally disappeared that Peter could process what had happened. His eyes whipped back to Tony, who was stumbling his way to some nearby debris. He broke into a run towards him, swinging on anything he could find, somehow hoping that maybe,  _ just maybe,  _ he would survive, that somehow he would make it. 

He was Tony Stark. A hero.  _ His  _ hero.    
  
He couldn’t die.    
  
When he finally reached Tony, after what felt like too many minutes, Mr. Rhodes was just stepping away. He hurried towards him, desperately trying to get his attention. 

“Mr. Stark,” he called, stepping closer. “Hey, Mr. Stark.” He could feel his voice trembling as he knelt in front of him, trying not to cry, because it couldn’t be  _ real _ . This couldn’t be how it happened.    
  
It wasn’t right.    
  
“Can you hear me?” he asked, his breaths faster and more ragged. “It’s Peter.” Tony didn’t answer, barely even looked at him, but Peter kept trying, desperation taking over any common sense. “We won. Mr. Stark. We won, Mr. Stark.” He knew he was repeating himself, but he couldn’t help it. 

This was it.   
  
He could tell this was it.    
  
The tears weren’t staying back anymore. 

“We won. You did it, sir, you did it.” That was when he felt strong hands grip his shoulders, trying to pull him back up. Pepper. It had to be. Logically, he knew he had to let her see him, knew he had to let her say goodbye. But there was so much he wanted to say to his mentor, so much he had to thank him for. He couldn’t just leave. He couldn’t.    
  
But he knew he had to. He knew Tony didn’t have much time left.    
  
But he couldn’t bear it.    
  
He had to say something. Anything. Anything to show how much he meant to him.    
  
“I’m sorry…” he started, and he almost said it. He almost said “dad.” But at the last second, a small part of him chickened out--a part that he now regretted more than anything else in the world--and instead, what came out was “Tony.”    
  
Somehow, though, that still seemed like it said something. Like it meant something.    
  
It was the first time he’d ever called him by his first name.    
  
And it was the last time he ever would.    
  
When Pepper had finally managed to pull him away, the tears had been streaming freely down his face, but he couldn’t stop watching.    
  
When the arc reactor light went out, he lost it completely.    
  
When the rest of the Avengers had knelt in respect for their fallen hero, Peter had knelt too. But it hadn’t been out of respect. It had been out of sorrow. Out of love lost. Out of grief over a family member.    
  
Because that’s what Tony had been. That’s what he’d always been. He’d been family.    
  
But Peter had never had the strength to say it. 

And now, standing outside of the lake house that Tony had called home for five years, watching the arc reactor float away on a bed of flowers, the one thing he wished more than anything is that he’d told him--that he’d somehow made it clear just how much he loved him.    
  
He had never expected it to be too late.    
  
And now Tony would never know.    
  
And that was all his fault.    
  
He could’ve stopped him. He should’ve. He was there. He could’ve stopped all of this.    
  
He could’ve made sure he lived. He could’ve made sure that Morgan--that adorable little girl that Peter had met earlier today--grew up with a father, that Pepper still had a husband. 

He could’ve still had a father-figure that meant the world to him.    
  
But he wasn’t fast enough. 

And now Tony was gone, the only piece left halfway down the lake.    
  
He had been standing strong, trying to hold it all in. He knew that this wasn’t as important--shouldn’t be as important to him--as it was to Tony’s real family. But thinking of all of them, left alone, all because  _ he wasn’t fast enough _ ...that made the tears start to fall.    
  
He really was gone.    
  
And Peter didn’t know what to do. 

_ ~ _

_ Harley  _

When Harley had gotten a phone call from Tony Stark, the last thing he’d expected to hear was Pepper’s voice.    
  
“Hey, Harley, it’s uh--it’s Pepper. Pepper Potts.”    
  
He’d straightened up in his seat immediately, causing his younger sister to look over at him curiously from her place on the couch. He waved a hand at her signaling her to go back to reading her book before standing up from the couch, walking towards the kitchen.    
  
“Umm, yeah, I uh...I remember. We met that one time, at the park.” He stopped talking, trying to figure out why she would be calling him from Tony’s number. Couldn’t Tony just call him himself?    
  
“Yes, right, of course,” she said, but it seemed almost off-handed, as if she was too distracted by something else. She continued quickly, though, seeming to brush it off. “I’m sorry for calling you from this number, but I wasn’t sure if you would pick up from my own.”    
  
“Yeah, that’s...yeah no big,” Harley said, confusion crossing his features. “Is uh...is everything okay?” 

The several long seconds of silence that followed sent a pit into Harley’s stomach.    
  
“Ms...Ms. Potts?” he asked, hesitantly, his voice cracking ever so slightly. Several more seconds of silence followed, but eventually, he heard her take a deep breath before she started speaking again.    
  
“Harley, I really hate to be the one to tell you this.” Her voice was much more level now, clearly having gained more composure. “But I know you two have grown pretty close, in the last several years especially, and I wanted you to hear it from me before you heard it on the news.”    
  
Harley felt his chest tighten. Was she talking about Tony?    
  
No. No she couldn’t be. It  _ had  _ to be something else.    
  
But...why else would she be calling from his number? 

“It’s Tony, Harley,” she started, answering his unspoken question. “He’s...he’s dead.” 

Harley felt his entire body stiffen, and it took everything he had not to collapse to the floor. Instead, he caught himself on the counter, but he slid to the ground almost immediately.    
  
How could he be  _ dead? _

He couldn’t be. This was  _ Tony  _ they were talking about.    
  
Tony Stark. Iron Man. He was  _ invincible.  _

This was the man who had saved the world.  _ Multiple  _ times. Missiles, terrorists, murderers, robots--everything in between.    
  
This was the man who everybody always seemed to think was dead, but who always came back.    
  
_ He always came back.  _

He couldn’t be dead.    
  
He just...couldn’t.    
  
He curled into a tight ball on the floor, pressing the phone harder into his ear as he felt tears building up in his eyes. He was acutely aware of his sister sneaking into the kitchen behind him, staring at him with wide eyes, but he chose to ignore her. 

“What--” he tried to get the words out, but his voice broke, and he had to stop. His tears were slowly starting to fall, and he had to breathe before he could try again.    
  
“What happened?” he finally asked, though the second he did, he regretted it. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer. 

Pepper seemed to hesitate herself, on the other end of the line. He wondered what could be so bad that she was afraid of telling him. At that point, it seemed like no description could be worse than what she’d already told him.    
  
“Thanos,” she started. “He--the team, they...they managed to get the stones to, to fix the timeline. Bring everyone back. But Thanos came back too, and there was a battle and...and we won. We won. But...Tony had to...he had to…” she trailed off, and Harley could hear the breaths she was taking, likely trying to keep her own tears at bay as much as she could.    
  
“You don’t have to--” Harely started, choking slightly through his own tears. “You don’t have to...to finish. I, uh...I think I get it.”    
  
And he did.    
  
He did get it.    
  
And that was honestly the worst part.    
  
A few days before that phone call, Tony had messaged him.

At the time, it had seemed out of nowhere. He’d said he wanted to check in, see how he was doing. 

Harley hadn’t minded, of course. He always appreciated messages from Tony. They made him feel...loved, in a way that no one else really did. 

Tony had said, then, that he was preparing to do something big, that they had a plan to bring everyone back, but that he wanted to check in, in case something went wrong.    
  
But...he had seemed so nonchalant. So sure that everything would work out. That everything would be fine.    
  
So Harley had been too. 

How could he have been so wrong? 

So, so wrong.    
  
Because now, here he was. 

Standing in front of a beautiful lake house. 

A lake house too beautiful for the scene in front of him.    
  
The scene of the arc reactor, Tony’s life force, floating away.    
  
The only piece remaining of the only father he’d ever truly had, the first one to ever care about him. 

And it was gone.    
  
_ He  _ was gone.    
  
And he was here.    
  
Alone. 

Abandoned.    
  
All over again. 

He couldn’t stop the tears that welled up in his eyes, watching the person who cared about him the most leave him forever.

It didn’t feel real.    
  
And yet, deep down, he knew it was.    
  
And he had no idea how to deal with it. 

~

_ Morgan _

"I love you 3000.”    
  
It didn’t make any sense. 

It didn’t.    
  
She didn’t get it.    
  
He’s her Daddy. He’s Iron Man. He’s a superhero. 

And he...he loves her.

3000.

He...he said it himself. 

Just now. 

Just like she said it to him.    
  
He loves her 3000.    
  
And she loves him 3000.    
  
So why did he leave?    
  
Why did he leave  _ her?  _

She knew he was going on a big mission. He told her he had to go be a hero, just like all the stories he had told her from the past.    
  
She understood that.    
  
She knew he was a hero, and she knew he had to save the world.    
  
He’d done it before.    
  
He could do it again.    
  
But, in all of his stories, the good guys always won.    
  
They always defeated the bad guys, and they always celebrated and had a happy ending.    
  
Except for the one with the big purple guy. But...her Daddy hadn’t talked about that one much.    
  
And that was okay. She liked the ones with the happy endings more anyways. 

So why couldn’t this be a happy ending too?    
  
He’s her Daddy. He can do anything. He’s strong and powerful and undefeatable.    
  
And the good guys won! The scary purple guy was gone, and Mommy said all of the people who went away got to come back now.    
  
But...why didn’t he get to come back?   
  
Why did he have to leave her and Mommy? 

He shouldn’t have done that.    
  
Because...she loves him.    
  
And...and he loves her.    
  
And that...that wasn’t fair. No one should be able to take away love.    
  
Mommy and Daddy always said love was forever.    
  
But...but her Daddy was gone.    
  
And if he was gone, then...then love wasn’t forever.    
  
Because if it was forever, her Daddy would still be here.    
  
They’d still be happy together. 

But he wasn’t.    
  
And she had to walk to the lake with only her Mommy.    
  
The lake she used to swim in with her Dad all the time.    
  
She would jump off of the deck and into his arms, and he would spin her around and around and then throw her into the water and then pick her up again. And then they would do it again and again and again, over and over.    
  
But now…

Now he wasn’t in there.    
  
It was just the thingy that he used to have on his chest. The thingy that made his suits work and be really cool.    
  
She couldn’t remember what it was called. Something with an a.    
  
Whatever it is, she didn’t like it. 

She didn’t like it, because it wasn’t her Dad.    
  
And she wanted her Dad back.    
  
She wanted him back more than anything.    
  
And she didn’t  _ understand. _

She didn’t get  _ why _ he couldn’t come back.    
  
If all of the other people came back, why couldn’t her Dad come back too?    
  
Why did he have to die?    
  
Why was it  _ his  _ job to save the world?    
  
Why couldn’t he stay?    
  
Why couldn’t he stay with her and Mommy?    
  
She really wanted to cry. 

She wanted to scream and cry and throw a tantrum and have her Daddy come make it all better.    
  
Just like he always did.    
  
But he wouldn’t    
  
He wouldn't be able to save her from anymore nightmares.    
  
He wouldn’t be able to rub her head and tell her he loves her.    
  
He wouldn’t be able to make her laugh and giggle and feel happy again.    
  
Because he  _ wasn’t here.  _

She watched the flowers float away, with her Daddy’s chest on top of them.    
  
Her Mommy crouched down, pulled her in close.    
  
She could tell Mommy was crying.    
  
She looked down.    
  
She wanted to cry.    
  
She wanted to let the tears fall.    
  
But she knew that crying meant that he was gone.    
  
And...and she didn’t want him to be gone.    
  
She wasn’t ready for him to be gone.    
  
So she didn’t cry.    
  
Not yet.    
  
She wanted to make a wish instead.    
  
A wish that would make everything better, ‘cause wishes made happy things happen.    
  
So she looked at the ground, closed her eyes, and wished.    
  
She wished harder than she’d ever wished in her whole life.    
  
She wished for him to come back.    
  
She wished for him to say he loves her again.    
  
She wished for love to stay forever and ever.    
  
But when she opened her eyes, the flowers were still on the lake.    
  
Her Mommy was still crying, gripping her arm tightly.    
  
And she was still standing on the dock.    
  
And her Daddy wasn’t there.    
  
And she knew.    
  
She knew the wish wouldn’t make a happy thing happen this time.    
  
Because her Daddy was the one that made the wishes come true all along.    
  
And he wasn’t here.    
  
And it was then.    
  
It was then that she let the tears fall.    
  
Why did her Daddy have to be the hero?    
  
It wasn’t fair.    
  
Love is supposed to last forever. 


	2. Every Picture Tells a Story

Peter had been standing outside the front door of the lake house for five minutes.    
  
After the funeral, Pepper had pulled him aside before he could leave. She’d done all of the things he’d expected: hugged him, told him how much he meant to Tony, and told him she knew he’d done everything he could--except that he  _ hadn’t.  _ But she surprised him with what she’d said next.    
  
“You know, he has a room for you, inside,” she’d told him. Peter’s eyes had widened a little in bewilderment. “He always had hope he could bring you back, that you could be a part of our family again. And...he did exactly what he wanted.” 

That probably should’ve made Peter feel better, but at the time, it only made him feel worse.    
  
Tony really  _ had  _ died because of him. He had died  _ for  _ him.    
  
And that hurt even more.    
  
“I want you to know that I’m really happy that you’re back. Really. We both missed you, a lot,” Pepper had continued. “And...I think it would be great if you wanted to spend the night. Here. Morgan already adores you, though I’d expect nothing less. She’s heard a lot of stories. And there’s someone else I’d like you to meet too. I think you’d get along.” She had stopped, then, and she seemed to pause and re-compose herself for a second before continuing. 

“And...I think Tony would want you to be here. If you’re...if you’re up for it.”    
  
He hadn’t wanted to. Not because he didn’t love Pepper, or even Morgan--despite having only really met her a few hours ago--but because he didn’t feel like it was his place. He was the reason Tony was dead, and he didn’t really belong. He wasn’t their real family.   
  
But when he’d gone back to the car and told May what she’d said, his aunt had convinced him otherwise.    
  
“You should stay,” she’d told him. “I have to help re-right the city anyways--” Peter had been about to interrupt her, explaining that he should be helping with that too, but she’d stopped him. “And you need a break. Trust me. This would be good for you.”    
  
So now, here he was, standing outside the front door, trying to work up the courage to actually knock.    
  
After several more seconds of pacing, he finally sighed, taking a deep breath before walking up to the door and knocking three times. 

When Pepper opened the door, she smiled softly, but Peter could still see the sadness in her eyes.    
  
“Hi Peter,” she said, her tone soft and welcoming, just like it always was. “I’m glad you decided to stay.” She gestured for him to come inside, and he hesitated slightly before stepping through the doorway, giving the cabin a quick once over.    
  
It was really nice. Spacious, pretty, and secluded. It seemed like the perfect place for Tony and Pepper to settle down. He could picture the little family of two, and eventually three, all laughing and smiling and spending time together.    
  
It made him want to cry again. 

“I can give you a little tour, if you want, or I can just show you to your room,” Pepper said as they made their way further into the cabin.    
  
“Umm…” Peter started, finding words difficult to come by. “Tour is...tour is good, I guess,” he said. He wanted to see it, wanted to see as much of Tony’s life as he could.    
  
He wanted to make sure he’d been happy.    
  
Even if he never could be again.    
  
He followed Pepper further into the house, past the living room, through the study, and into the kitchen. He saw the backyard, the alpaca named Gerald--Peter couldn’t help but smile at that--and eventually, they made their way back around and up the stairs.    
  
“That’s our room over there, and then your room is right over here, next to Morgan’s,” Pepper said, pointing to the various doors. 

As they passed Morgan’s room, Peter could see that the door was open, and he craned his neck slightly to peek in.    
  
Morgan was sitting on a chair next to Happy, who was reading her a book, but she didn’t seem engaged. She was looking at the ground and playing with her hair, not really watching or listening.    
  
He looked at Pepper, and Pepper seemed to know what he was thinking, because she smiled slightly.    
  
“Hey Morgan, sweetheart,” Pepper said, getting her daughter’s attention. “Look who’s here.”    
  
Morgan looked up, and though she was clearly upset, she smiled at seeing Peter.    
  
“Hi Petey,” she said, standing up and coming over to wrap her arms around his legs. “Mommy said you might come back.” 

Peter was surprised at the gesture, but he couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face, and he crouched down to be on her level.    
  
“Yeah, I uh...I thought I might maybe spend the night, if that’s okay? Get to know you a little better.”    
  
Morgan nodded at him, smiling, before a thought seemed to occur to her.    
  
“Uncle Happy’s reading me a story. Do you wanna listen?”    
  
Peter looked over at Pepper, who nodded ever so slightly, before he turned back to Morgan, nodding to her with a smile. She smiled back, reaching up to grab his hand before dragging him into her bedroom.    
  
Peter could tell how exhausted Happy was, but he lit up slightly when Peter and Morgan came back in, and he let them settle in before he continued reading.    
  
It was a side of Happy Peter had never really had the chance to see, and it made him light up just a little too.    
  
When Happy finished the story, Peter stood up and walked back over to Pepper, who had been watching from the doorway.    
  
“That’s the first time I’ve seen her smile like that all day…” Pepper whispered, and she looked at him with soft, sad eyes. “Thank you.”    
  
Peter looked at the ground, shuffling his feet awkwardly.    
  
He wasn’t Tony. He couldn’t be Tony.    
  
So what if he made her smile? They all knew it wasn’t the same.    
  
Nothing would ever be the same. 

“Come on,” Pepper said, pulling him out of his thoughts. “There’s someone else I think you should see.”    
  
Peter adjusted his small bag on his shoulder as they made their way to the other end of the hallway. Pepper knocked on the bedroom door, and when it opened, a teenage boy who looked not much younger than Peter was standing in front of them.   
  
“Oh, hi Miss Potts,” he said, before looking at Peter curiously.    
  
“Harley, this is Peter,” she said. “Peter, Harley.” Both of their eyes widened simultaneously, and Harley opened the door wider, pointing a finger at Peter.    
  
“You’re Spider-Man. And, his intern, the one that he always talked about.” 

Peter was a little surprised that Harley knew who he was, but he was even more surprised that Harley was here to begin with.    
  
“And you’re the kid from Tennessee. The one that saved his life.” Harley, too, seemed surprised that Peter knew who he was, but nonetheless, he smiled at him.    
  
“I’ve heard so much about you,” they both said at the same time, and they couldn’t help the small laughs that escaped them after that. However, as Peter suddenly remembered the context of this meeting, his laugh dissipated, and so did Harley’s.

“It’s, uh...it’s nice to meet you,” Peter then said, putting out an awkward hand for him to shake.    
  
Harley looked at him, then returned the handshake, smiling ever so slightly.    
  
“Yeah, umm...you too.”    
  
Peter smiled lightly, releasing his hand before turning back to Pepper as she spoke up.    
  
“I’m glad you two got to meet,” she said. “Let’s get you settled, Peter.”    
  
When they got to the room that Tony had designated as Peter’s, he stopped, unable to push open the door. 

He didn’t know what to expect, but he knew that, whatever it was, it would feel like Tony.    
  
He didn’t know if he was ready for that.    
  
Pepper, just like before, seemed to read his mind.    
  
“I have to work on some things downstairs. Take your time, sweetheart.”    
  
And with that, she turned away, walking back down the stairs and away from Peter. 

Peter turned to the door again, staring at it.    
  
It shouldn’t be this hard.    
  
Why was it this hard?    
  
It probably wasn’t even anything big. It was probably just an empty room with a bed, maybe some pictures or posters or something. That was probably it.    
  
That had to be all it was. 

Taking a deep breath, he put his hand on the knob and turned it, slowly pushing the door open.    
  
Sometimes, he really wished his mentor wasn’t so extravagant.    
  
The room wasn’t simple at all. It was actually...perfect, for him.    
  
The bed was covered by Star Wars bedsheets, and a Spider-Man plushie stood guard at the pillow.    
  
There were various posters around the room from all of the movies he loved, and there was a giant periodic table poster on the wall next to the bed. A nightstand was set up on the other end of the bed, but he couldn’t see what was on it from his current angle. 

As he kept looking, he realized that a lot of the furniture and books--even the clothes in the closet--were ones Peter had had in the apartment with May. It was almost as if Mr. Stark had gone to their apartment after...everything and retrieved it all. 

He felt a pang in his chest at that realization. With the battle still fresh on his mind, he’d never had much time to think about what Mr. Stark might have been going through after Thanos’s Snap.    
  
It just made him feel guiltier. 

He eventually made his way over to the bed, dropping his bag to the floor as he got closer, smiling a little at the Spider-Man plushie. 

It wasn’t until he sat down that he really saw what was on the nightstand.    
  
Photos.    
  
They were  _ photos.  _

Five of them, at least, all of Peter and Tony, together. 

He looked away as he felt his throat close up, tears welling at the corners of his eyes. He was barely ready for the room. He certainly wasn’t ready for photos.    
  
But, eventually, curiosity got the better of him, and he took a breath, turning back to the nightstand and picking up the first photo.    
  
It was a picture of him and Tony in the lab, covered in Peter’s web fluid. Peter laughed a little, and he felt a tear slip down his cheek. He remembered that day.    
  
He and Mr. Stark had been bantering about Star Wars and Harry Potter, some silly discussion over why the good guys' lightsaber colors were blue and green in Star Wars, but their wand spell colors were red in Harry Potter. 

Peter had gotten distracted by the discussion and had stirred too quickly, and before he knew it, the web fluid had exploded all over the workstation, coating him and Tony. He had panicked, terrified that Mr. Stark was gonna yell at him, but instead, he had just laughed, and Peter had started laughing too. 

Thinking back to it now, he realized that was probably the moment when he first realized that Mr. Stark had become more than just his mentor. 

He put the picture down and picked up another. This one showed him on the floor of the Tower’s living room, popcorn in his hair, while Tony held an empty bowl above him, laughing. Peter remembered that too.    
  
It was a Saturday, so he was at the Tower with Mr. Stark. After the incident with Toomes, he had gradually started spending not just lab days there, but the whole weekend, and he was always so happy to have that.    
  
It was movie night--Indiana Jones, because Tony couldn’t believe Peter hadn’t seen it yet--and Peter was feeling particularly mischievous. Throughout the movie, he kept sneakily throwing pieces of popcorn at Tony. Some landed in his lap, but most of them hit him in the face. Every time, Tony seemed more and more confused and frustrated by whatever kept hitting him in the face.    
  
Peter realized really quickly, though, that Tony had pegged him from the start. When he shifted from the couch to the floor, he was suddenly caught off guard as the remaining popcorn was dumped directly onto the top of his head. He’d forgotten that Pepper had taken a picture--upon Tony’s insistence, of course. 

He put that picture down and sniffled slightly. He could feel the tears streaming freely now, and he curled in on himself slightly. 

How could he have messed this up? 

As the tears continued to fall, he glanced up, catching sight of the picture closest to the bed--a picture Peter knew he’d seen in the kitchen when he and Pepper had walked through it.    
  
It was the picture that Tony took for Peter’s aunt--the one with his Stark Industries Intern certificate.    
  
But it wasn’t the serious one they had sent to May. It was one of the funny ones--the one where they’d given each other bunny ears.    
  
A laugh-sob escaped from him, and he closed his eyes, memories from that day flashing clearly through his mind.    
  
_ “Alright Happy, make sure it looks professional. We don’t want his aunt getting suspicious.”  _

_ “Professional?” Peter asks, rolling his eyes. “Mr. Stark, your shirt has a duck on it.”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Tony looks at him, a hand over his heart in mock offense.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Excuse me, young man, but that duck is just as professional as anyone else. At Stark Industries, only the most professional ducks are allowed on our shirts.”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Peter laughs, covering his mouth with his hand before turning to the camera.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Whatever Mr. Stark.”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Tony rolls his own eyes, smiling at Happy before giving him a wink, slowly sneaking his hand behind Peter’s head to put up bunny ears.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Happy sighs deeply before snapping the picture, but the second he does, Peter catches on and spins around, and Tony quickly tries to move his hand.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Did you just try to give me bunny ears?” Peter asks, aghast.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “No, I would do no such thing. This is a professional photo.” Tony smirks at him, and Peter’s jaw drops open.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Oh really? That’s how you wanna play? Fine then.” Peter quickly puts his arm behind Tony, sliding up his own bunny ears. “Take the picture, Happy.”  _

_ Happy snaps the picture, another sigh coming from his mouth, and Tony turns to Peter with his own jaw open.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Did you just bunny ears ME? In a professional Stark Industries photo?” he asks, though the amusement is clear in his eyes.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Mr. Stark, you and I both know full well that we gave each other bunny ears, so you can stop acting so innocent.” Peter smirks back at him, his eyes twinkling, and eventually, Tony concedes.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Fine. You win. Now get in here and let’s do this for real.” Peter smiles gleefully, but obliges, posing for the real photo, the certificate held between the two of them.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Happy snaps the photo, looks at it, then looks up at the duo with a frown.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Uh-oh. What did we do now, Hap?” Tony asks, eyebrow raised.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Oh nothing…” Happy starts, before pointing at the certificate in their hands. “It’s just that the certificate is upside down.”  _

Peter giggled, opening his eyes to look at the picture again as the tears fell faster. Looking up, he realized with a start that the certificate itself was actually framed just above the headboard, his name standing out loud and clear. 

His chest panged again, and he couldn’t help the full-on sob that came out this time. He was glad he’d shut the door, because he didn’t want anyone to see him like this.    
  
He knew Pepper was struggling on her own. Peter breaking down was the last thing she needed.    
  
So he shut his mouth and cried silently, clutching the photo to his chest with one hand and pulling the Spider-Man plushie in with the other.    
  
He curled up tightly, wrapping himself in the blankets as his tears fell faster, enveloping him completely.    
  
How could this all have gone so wrong? 


	3. Reminders of How it Used to Be

He’d tried very hard to convince Pepper to let him stay at a hotel in the city instead of taking up the guest room in their lake house. But, characteristic of the personality that Tony had always talked about, she was stubborn and insistent--she didn’t want him to be alone after the funeral.   
  
And, if he was being honest, it was a gesture that Harley really appreciated.   
  
But even with that gesture--even sitting here in their house--he’d never felt more alone.   
  
After the funeral, he had gotten to see Morgan in person for the first time. He’d met her over video chat once or twice, but it didn’t really capture how beautiful and sweet she really was. She remembered him, which was good. He wasn’t sure how it would have gone if she hadn’t.   
  
But, despite them having a good relationship, Harley knew she was upset, and he wasn’t the person she needed right now. He’d left her with Pepper and Happy and Rhodey, heading into the room that Pepper had pointed him to when he’d first arrived.   
  
He’d done his best to stay out of everyone’s way, changing out of his suit and into more comfortable clothes, taking time to try to settle his emotions as best as he could.   
  
Given the circumstances, he hadn’t been doing very well, so when he was surprised by a knock on his door, it took him a few seconds to find his composure before he was able to answer.   
  
His emotions shifted quickly, though, when he saw who was standing on the other side of the door.   
  
He never thought he’d get to meet Peter Parker. After the Snap, Tony had talked about Peter so much that he honestly felt like he already knew him, and he wanted to meet him more than anything.   
  
Tony had wanted them to meet too.

At the time, Harley hadn’t thought that was possible. But now, here they were. 

“You’re Spider-Man,” he stumbled out, a little awe-struck. “And, his intern, the one that he always talked about.”   
  
“And you’re the kid from Tennessee,” Peter replied immediately, and the recognition took Harley by surprise. “The one that saved his life.”   
  
Saved his life? He wasn’t sure he would go _that_ far, necessarily. Well, maybe a little. 

Despite the surprise, he smiled and continued the conversation.   
  
“I’ve heard so much about you.” When he realized that Peter had said the same thing at the same time, he laughed, slightly, and when Peter did too, his laugh grew. They were already getting along.   
  
This was _crazy._ If only Tony could see them…   
  
He realized that he and Peter must have had similar thoughts at the same time, because both of their laughs quickly died down. There were a few seconds of silence before Peter spoke up again, slightly more awkward than before.   
  
“It’s uh...it’s nice to meet you,” he said, putting out his hand, and Harley accepted it, returning the handshake and greeting.   
  
“Yeah, umm...you too.”   
  
As soon as they broke the handshake, Pepper led Peter back to his room, and Harley shut his door again, returning to the bed.   
  
Peter said he’d heard a lot about him too.   
  
But that...that didn’t really make sense. Did Tony really talk about him? 

He knew they’d grown closer in the last several years, but that was after Peter was already...gone. Before that, they’d never really talked after he’d left. He’d gotten gifts, sometimes, little tech upgrades and such, so he knew Tony never forgot about him. After Tony left him a Starkwatch, he even got the occasional message from him. But beyond that, they never really interacted. He’d never expected Tony to talk about him to other people. 

Somehow, that made his chest hurt more.   
  
He shifted on the bed, reaching over to grab his phone, looking for some sort of distraction--anything to take his mind off of the grief threatening to pour out.   
  
He didn’t want to cry. Not here. Not when Pepper, or Morgan, or even Peter could overhear him. 

He knew he needed to deal with it alone, just like he always had. 

Unlocking his phone, he expected himself to open up an internet browser and start searching for some random video to occupy his mind. But instead, he found his fingers hovering over the messages app, and before he could change his mind, he’d opened it and clicked on Tony’s name. 

If he was trying to keep from getting emotional, this wasn’t the way to do that.   
  
But, a part of him wanted to go back. A part of him needed that reminder of what had happened, of the way things had been. 

He scrolled quickly, purposefully avoiding their last interaction, stopping almost three years back. He skimmed the thread quickly, smirking as he thought back to their conversation that day.   
  
" _Kid, are you seriously telling me that you used that big techy brain of yours to set-up a bucket of water above your sister’s door?”_

 _Harley rolls his eyes as he reads the text, thumbing back a reply._ _  
_ _  
_ _“Yes. Sure, it was simple and probably kind of dumb, but you don’t understand, Tony. She has been a NIGHTMARE since spring break started. I don’t even know what to do with her anymore. I don’t remember being this annoying in seventh grade.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“News flash, kid: she’s not even a year younger than you. But, you’re right. You weren’t annoying.”_

 _Harley smiles in victory. He starts to respond with “thank you” when the next text comes in._ _  
_ _  
_ _“You were insufferable.” His jaw drops open, and he types back quickly:_ _  
_ _  
_ _“Hey!”_

Harley laughed, but even with the laugh, the pain in his chest didn’t go away.   
  
That was the type of banter he would miss. The banter he wouldn’t get again from anyone else.   
  
He started scrolling again, swiping faster as a memory came to him.   
  
There. 

_“Hey kid,”_ he read. _“I’m glad you’re doing okay, and it was good to see you again. You need anything at all, you let me know, alright?”_

Harley smiled slightly, and he felt his eyes welling up as he thought back to that day, five years ago. 

_It’s all over the news._

_Well, what’s left of the news, anyways._ _  
_ _  
_ _Half of the world, gone._ _  
_ _  
_ _Harley can’t believe it._ _  
_ _  
_ _He’d been at school when it had started. He’d had to watch his classmates vanish into thin air._ _  
_ _  
_ _At the time, he hadn’t known what was happening, but instinct had told him to run home, and when he saw his mom and sister in the living room, he felt relief flow through him._

 _Whatever did happen, it was scary._ _  
_ _  
_ _Now, he’s scrolling through the internet, trying to figure out what happened, while his sister is upstairs in her room._

 _His mom is supposed to be gone until at least six, so when there’s a harsh knock on the door around noon, Harley jumps in surprise. He looks at the door, then back at the tablet in his hand, setting it down before slowly standing up and approaching the door._ _  
_ _  
_ _When he opens it, he can’t believe who he sees._ _  
_ _  
_ _“Tony Stark?” he asks, shocked._ _  
_ _  
_ _Tony doesn’t respond, and before Harley can react, he’s pulled into a hug. It’s an intense hug, but a warm one, and Harley feels himself smiling._

_No one’s ever hugged him like that._

_Suddenly, Tony breaks away, grabbing Harley’s shoulders intensely._ _  
_ _  
_ _“Your mom and sister, are they here?” Harley, thrown off, shakes his head no, but when he sees Tony’s face, he realizes what he means._ _  
_ _  
_ _“I mean, yes. They’re...they’re both okay. My mom’s helping people in the city and my sister’s upstairs. They’re...yeah, they’re here.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _Tony seems to sigh in relief, and he pulls him in again, putting a hand on the top of his head._ _  
_ _  
_ _“That’s great, kiddo. That’s...that’s really great.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _After several seconds, Tony pulls away again, and his expression shifts slightly, but Harley can’t quite place what changes._

 _“Nice to see you’re still here. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to find you.” Tony says, glancing around at the living room._ _  
_ _  
_ _Harley nods a little and smiles, but his confusion eventually takes over, and he blurts out the question he’s had since he opened the door._ _  
_ _  
_ _“Tony what are you doing here?” he asks. “I mean, I haven’t seen you in four years.” Suddenly, his brain clicks, and his eyes widen a little as he stares at Tony. “Is this about everyone disappearing? Was it the aliens? Did they come back? What happened? Were you there?”_ _  
_ _  
_ _He sees Tony tense up, and he stops immediately, remembering the attacks Tony had had the last time they were together._ _  
_ _  
_ _“I’m sorry. I’ll stop,” he says quickly, backing away and looking towards the ground. He looks back up when he feels Tony put a hand on his shoulder, and when he does, Tony isn’t freaking out like Harley was afraid he would be._ _  
_ _  
_ _“It’s, uh...it’s actually okay, kid,” Tony says, gently, removing his hand and taking another cursory glance around the room. “Your sister’s upstairs?”_ _  
_ _  
_ _Harley nods, silently, confusion building again._ _  
_ _  
_ _“What time does your mom come home?” he continues._ _  
_ _  
_ _“Uh...she said six,” Harley responds, not sure where this is going. Tony stares at him for a minute, looking him straight in the eyes, so long that Harley almost starts to get uncomfortable._ _  
_ _  
_ _“You really wanna know what happened?” Tony finally asks, and Harley barely hesitates before nodding, eagerly._ _  
_ _  
_ _He really wants to know what happened._ _  
_ _  
_ _And he’s wanted to know what happened with Tony for years._ _  
_ _  
_ _Tony seems to calculate again, eventually sighing before stepping fully into the house. Harley shuts the door behind him and follows him to the table set-up in the kitchen. Tony sits down, tapping his fingers on the table, then looks at Harley, raising an eyebrow at him._ _  
_ _  
_ _“Well, take a seat, kid. We’ll talk.”_

Harley opened his eyes, not even realizing he had closed them to begin with.   
  
When Tony had come that day, he’d explained everything. He talked about becoming Iron Man, the wormhole in New York, the lead-up to their meeting--everything that led up to what happened now.

And then he’d explained the Snap. He’d talked about Thanos, and about losing half of his team.   
  
He’d talked about losing Peter, and he’d said that was why he’d come to visit. Because he wanted to make sure that he hadn’t lost Harley too.   
  
Harley didn’t remember crying then, but he could feel himself wanting to cry now.   
  
He swiped at his wet eyes, angry at the emotions that were coming out. 

It was just someone else who had left. It shouldn’t be this big of a deal.   
  
When his phone beeped with a notification, he wasn’t thinking when he re-opened the messaging thread with Tony, and before he could catch himself, his eyes had gotten stuck on the last message Tony had sent. 

Three days ago. 

_“I wanted to tell you something. I think I figured it out. Me and the other Avengers, we’ve got this plan to bring everyone back. And I really think it’s gonna work, buddy, I really do. But I don’t know what the costs are gonna be. Even if it works, it may not work for everyone. It may not work for me. But I know the plan will work, and I hope everyone makes it back exactly the way they should. But just in case, when the plan works, and it WILL work, if I’m not there to see it work, I wanted to make sure that you’re okay. I want to make sure you’ll be okay. You matter a lot to me, bud, ya got that? So when all this is said and done, just remember that, alright?”_

He stared at those last two lines, feeling the emptiness in his stomach grow further. 

_“You matter a lot to me, bud.”_

If he mattered so much, then why did he leave?   
  
Why did he leave him alone, just like everyone else did? 

Despite his best efforts, Harley felt a few tears drip down his cheeks. He swiped them away quickly, dropping his phone to the floor as he rolled onto his back.   
  
He stared at the ceiling.   
  
The white, pale, blank ceiling.   
  
Empty.   
  
Nothing.   
  
Just like he was.   
  
All over again. 


	4. No Hugs are as Warm as Yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm not gonna lie to you: I cried writing this one, so it's brutal, but in the best way.

She missed her Dad.   
  
Nothing was as fun when he wasn’t here. 

He used to make her laugh and laugh all day long.   
  
She loved Mommy and Uncle Happy and Uncle Rhodey.   
  
But none of them were her Daddy.   
  
Seeing Petey had been nice. He made her smile, because he reminded her of all the stories Daddy used to tell.   
  
And he was really nice and really funny. Harley was too. 

But they weren’t Daddy.   
  
Uncle Happy tried to read her another book after Petey left. Her favorite one, the one with all the different characters.   
  
Daddy used to do voices.   
  
She asked Uncle Happy to do the voices, and he tried really really hard.   
  
But they weren’t the way her Daddy did them. 

After he finished reading, Uncle Rhodey came in and asked her if she wanted to go swimming.   
  
She really really liked swimming.   
  
But she didn’t want to go if her Daddy wasn’t there.   
  
They used to have fun together.   
  
Wouldn’t it be mean, if she went without Daddy?   
  
She asked Uncle Rhodey.   
  
“Well,” he said, looking at Uncle Happy, then looking back at her. “I think your Daddy would understand. I think he’d want you to still have fun, if you wanted to.” 

She thought that he might be right.   
  
Uncle Rhodey was really smart like that. 

But, she still didn’t wanna go.   
  
Which made her sad, because swimming was her favorite.   
  
But they would have to go swimming in the lake. And when Morgan thought about the lake, all she saw was her Daddy floating away.   
  
She didn’t want to go in the lake anymore. 

So Uncle Rhodey played with her inside instead.   
  
They played with her toys, but then Morgan got sad when Iron Man flew in to save the day, and she didn’t wanna play anymore.   
  
She wished Iron Man could really fly in to save the day.   
  
Not the world.   
  
She wanted him to save her.   
  
Even though she wasn’t actually in trouble.   
  
But she really wanted him to be there.   
  
She didn’t wanna be sad anymore. 

She felt like that was the same as saving someone in real trouble. 

Being sad is bad too.   
  
Mommy asked her if she wanted to make cookies.   
  
Morgan used to make cookies with Mommy and Daddy all the time.   
  
She thought cookies would cheer her up.   
  
But...it still wasn’t right.   
  
Mommy always helped Morgan decorate, after the cookies were done. She would swirl the icing around in shapes and show Morgan how to do it too.   
  
But Daddy used to help her mix the ingredients, and he always tried to sneak pieces of cookie dough from the bowl and she had to make him stop.   
  
This time, Mommy helped with that too, and Mommy even tried to sneak a piece of cookie dough.   
  
But it wasn’t Daddy.   
  
She couldn’t make the same funny face he made when he got caught.   
  
She didn’t make Morgan giggle by putting cookie dough on her nose. 

But, she did let Morgan lick the spoon.  
  
She knew Mommy was sad too.   
  
She knew it wasn’t Mommy’s fault.   
  
She knew she was trying really really hard.   
  
But Mommy wasn’t Daddy. 

After cookies, Mommy sat over by the fireplace, and she brought Morgan into her lap, and she sang to her.   
  
That was a Mommy thing.   
  
That made her smile.   
  
But then the singing was over.   
  
And after the singing, it was supposed to be Daddy’s turn.   
  
Daddy would always take her into her room, and he would tell her a story before bed. A story about superheroes. 

She didn’t want any stories about superheroes tonight.   
  
She didn’t really want to think about superheroes, or bad guys.   
  
But...if her Daddy was there.   
  
He would make it better.   
  
He would make the story fun.   
  
The bad guys wouldn’t be so scary in the story.   
  
Even though they were much much scarier in real life. 

They were never scary in the stories.   
  
Because her Daddy always beat them.   
  
And he always came home.   
  
Why was this one different? 

Why didn’t he come home? 

Instead of a story, when Mommy took her to her room, she said something else.   
  
“Do you want another lullaby tonight? A different one?”   
  
Morgan tilted her head, confused. Mommy always sang the same lullaby. Were there more lullabies?   
  
Curious, she nodded, and Mommy smiled, tucking the blankets around her.   
  
“It’s not my lullaby, though,” she said, and she grabbed a little black thingy, bringing it closer to the bed. “Somebody else is gonna sing tonight. Is that okay?”   
  
Morgan nodded again, but she was very confused now. Mommy always sang.   
  
Her Mommy leaned over and kissed her forehead. Then, she sat back on the floor and pushed a button on the black thingy, and noise started coming out.   
  
“Alright, little Morguna. Bedtime for baby.”   
  
Morgan gasped.   
  
“That’s Daddy,” she said, sitting up. “It’s Daddy, like...like on the...the video. From before.”   
  
Her Mommy nodded, and when Morgan looked, she thought she saw her crying. But then Mommy reached down and pressed the button again, stopping the noise, and when she looked at Morgan, she wasn’t crying at all.   
  
“Yeah, it’s Daddy. It’s a recording of his voice, when you were itty bitty. Just a little baby.” Her Mommy picked it up and let her hold it.   
  
“I wanted to give it to you when you were older, but...I think now is a good time for you to have it.” She reached over, pointing to a button on the side. “Push there.”   
  
Morgan looked at her, then back at the button and pushed it. It made noise again.   
  
“Alright, little Morguna,” she heard again. “Bedtime for baby.” And this time, Mommy didn’t stop it, and her Daddy started to sing.   
  
_“Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes, and save these questions for another day. I think I know what you've been asking me, I think you know what I've been trying to say. I promised I would never leave you, and you should always know._  
 _Wherever you may go, no matter where you are, I never will be far away._

_Goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep, and still so many things I want to say._   
_Remember all the songs you sang for me, when we went sailing on an emerald bay._   
_And like a boat out on the ocean, I'm rocking you to sleep._   
_The water's dark and deep, inside this ancient heart, you'll always be a part of me._

_Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream, and dream how wonderful your life will be. Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby, then in your heart there will always be a part of me._   
_Someday we'll all be gone, but lullabies go on and on._   
_They never die, that's how you and I will be.”_

When the song was over, her Mommy reached over and hit the button, wrapping her hand around Morgan’s.   
  
Morgan looked up and saw that her Mommy was crying.   
  
And when she thought about it, she realized she was crying too.   
  
But, it wasn’t just because she was sad.   
  
She missed him, lots and lots and lots, even more now.   
  
But there was something else there too. 

Something else that made her cry. 

It made her miss him.   
  
But it also made her smile, just a little.   
  
“That was pretty,” she whispered, and her Mommy smiled at her, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head again.   
  
“I know,” she said, squeezing her tight before grabbing her hand. “And you can listen to it as many times as you want, okay? It’s for you.”   
  
Morgan nodded, gripping the recording tight. Her Mommy smiled before telling her to lay back down, tucking the blankets tightly around her. 

“Sleep well, little miss,” Mommy said, kissing her again before standing up and leaving the room, shutting the door behind her. 

Morgan stared at the door.   
  
She looked back down at the black thing in her hand.   
  
She really really missed him.   
  
And Mommy was really really trying.   
  
And Mommy was doing a good job.   
  
But, she still missed him.   
  
She moved around a little, then reached up to push the button on the recording, gripping it tighter as the noise started again.   
  
“Alright, little Morguna,” her Daddy said. “Bedtime for baby.”   
  
She squeezed her eyes shut, listening hard. 

It wasn’t her Daddy.   
  
He wasn’t here.   
  
But it was almost Daddy.   
  
As her Daddy sang, she squeezed her eyes tighter, trying to pretend that he was there. Trying to picture him hugging her, and kissing her, and saying goodnight, like he always did.   
  
Trying to pretend that maybe, just maybe, it was all a dream.   
  
Maybe he would be there when she woke up. 

But deep down, she knew he wouldn’t be.   
  
And as her Daddy kept singing, tears slipped down her face as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who might be wondering, the song that Tony’s singing is “Goodnight, My Angel” by Billy Joel. :)


	5. I Can't Solve All Your Problems (But I Promise You Won't Face Them Alone)

Peter was jolted awake by the sound of soft whimpering not far away from his own room.    
  
He sat up quickly, confused, trying to place the sound. The whimper was followed by sniffles and a small sob, and Peter realized quickly that it had to be Morgan.    
  
Instinctively, he climbed out of bed, tiptoeing to his door and opening it just a crack, peeking out. He could hear the quiet cries more clearly now.    
  
He doubted anyone else could hear her, with how quiet she was being, but Peter’s enhanced hearing picked it up easily. He hesitated, looking towards the bedroom that Pepper was in, debating if he should wake her.    
  
He immediately decided against it. 

He’d heard Happy and Rhodey trying to comfort Pepper last night, before any of them had fallen asleep, and he knew she deserved the rest more than anyone.    
  
He could handle this.    
  
Maybe.    
  
He hoped.    
  
Taking a breath, he made his way towards Morgan’s room, tapping softly on the door before opening it.    
  
“Morgan?” he whispered into the dark, catching sight of the small bundle curled up on the bed on the other side of the room. 

Morgan, half-awake, stirred a little, turning towards the door.    
  
“Daddy?” she asked, hopefully, and Peter’s heart broke.    
  
“No, but...I wish,” he mumbled out before stepping further into the room. “It’s Peter.”    
  
“Oh,” Morgan responded, and she shifted again, so that she could see the door better. “Hi Petey.”    
  
Contrary to before, there was no smile this time, and it only made Peter’s heart hurt more.    
  
“Can I come in?” Peter asked, still standing in the doorway, and after a few seconds, Morgan nodded.    
  
Peter sighed a little in relief, entering the room and leaving the door open slightly. 

As he got closer to the bed, he saw that Morgan was holding something tightly in her palm, and he sat down on the floor, pointing to her hand. 

“Whatcha got there, Morgan?” he started, hoping to ease some tension before he tried anything else.    
  
Morgan looked down at her hand, then back up at Peter.    
  
“Mommy gave it to me,” she said. “It’s a recording. Of...of Daddy.” 

Peter smirked a little at that. It was just like Tony to leave recordings behind. Always thinking ahead.    
  
“Do you wanna hear it?” Morgan asked him, and he looked back at her, debating.    
  
A part of him did.    
  
But the other part of him knew it wasn’t his place.    
  
It was for Morgan. She needed it more than anyone.    
  
“That’s okay,” he told her, giving her a smile. “It’s for you, not for me.”    
  
Morgan looked at him, then back at the recording. She nodded, slowly, but Peter could see fresh tears making their way onto her cheeks.    
  
“You miss him a lot, huh?”    
  
Morgan looked back up at him, and, after a few seconds, nodded again, tears falling faster.    
  
“Me too,” Peter muttered, looking at her sympathetically. He wanted to say something else, anything to try to comfort her, but before he could think of what to say, she said something first. 

“Why did Daddy leave, Petey?” she whispered, sniffling. “He wasn’t supposed to do that. He always said he’d love me forever, but how can he love me if he’s not here?”    
  
“Oh Morgan…” Peter said, feeling tears collect on the edges of his own eyes. “Of course he still loves you. Just because he isn’t next to you doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you.” Peter moved closer, instinctively wiping at her tears and brushing hair out of her face. “Love doesn’t stop just because someone isn’t here. Love is always and forever, no matter how far away.”    
Morgan sniffled some more, looking up at him with sad eyes.    
  
“But I don’t know that. How do I know if he’s not here?”    
  
Peter sighed, looking back at her. He wanted to tell her it would all be okay, that she’d feel better soon.    
  
But he knew that’s not how these things worked.    
  
He’d been through it before. 

“I know it’s hard,” he said instead. “When someone leaves and you can’t see them anymore, it leaves a hole there. A hole that you want to be filled, and it just...can’t. Not with anyone or anything. You just feel…” 

He trailed off, not sure how to finish his sentence. To his surprise, another voice spoke up behind him, finishing it for him.    
  
“Empty.” 

Peter and Morgan both turned their heads to the source of the sound and found Harley standing in the doorway.    
  
“It leaves you feeling empty,” he said, coming closer to the bed and sitting next to Peter. Peter followed his movements, taken aback, but grateful that he was here.    
  
That he didn’t have to go through it alone.    
  
“But Peter’s right, Morgan,” Harley continued, edging closer to the bed. “It is hard, but just because you can’t feel it doesn’t mean it’s not there.”    
  
Morgan looked at him, seeming sad and confused, and Harley smiled a little, gently putting a hand around hers.    
  
“Your Daddy loved you very very much. And he still loves you very very much. No matter where he goes, and no matter how far away, he will always, always love you.” He paused, then, reaching for her other hand and turning it over so that the black recording device was visible. “If he didn’t, you wouldn’t have this.” 

Morgan looked down at her hand, then back up at Harley, then at Peter. Peter nodded, smiling at her as he responded. 

“Exactly.” Peter said. “And it’ll hurt for a while, and it’ll always be a little hard, but no matter what, deep deep down, you’ll know that he loves you lots.”    
  
“Always and forever,” Morgan whispered, wrapping her hand around the black thing again.

“Always and forever,” Peter repeated. He looked at Harley, who gave him a nod before turning back to Morgan.    
  
“You think you’re ready to go back to sleep now?” Harley asked, reaching for her blanket to tuck her back in.    
  
Morgan nodded, and a small yawn escaped her as she snuggled back in, hand still holding the recording device.    
  
Peter helped Harley tuck her back in before they both stood up slowly, walking back towards the doorway

As they walked away, Morgan called out, stopping them before they’d left.    
  
“Goodnight,” she said, softly, and Peter and Harley looked back, small smiles on their faces. 

“Goodnight,” Harley replied.    
  
“Sleep well,” Peter added, before they both left the room, shutting the door behind them. 

When they got back into the hallway, Peter exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, and he looked over at Harley, who was looking at him, sadness in his eyes. 

“Sorry for barging in on you,” he said, suddenly, shifting his feet. “I was awake and heard you talking to her. I didn’t mean to interrupt, but…” He trailed off, and Peter shook his head, understanding.    
  
“No, no, it...it was good. I was, uh...glad you came in, actually. It helped a lot.”   
  
Harley nodded, looking down at the ground. The silence was deafening, and just as Peter was about to go back to his own room, Harley spoke up again.    
  
“He missed you a lot you know,” he started, and Peter whipped his head back to him.    
  
“What?”    
  
“I’m sorry,” Harley continued. “I’m sure that’s not the type of thing you want to hear right now, after everything. But...I figured you ought to know.” Harley finally looked up, locking eyes with Peter as he kept talking. “After Thanos, he used to talk about you all the time. He was really proud of you. Whenever he talked about Morgan, he mentioned you, and how he wished you could’ve met her. He wanted us to meet too.” His eyes shifted back down to the ground again, and he shuffled his feet. “I, uh...I guess he got what he wanted…” he finished, trailing off.    
  
There was silence for a while as Peter tried to process what Harley had just said. 

He knew he missed Mr. Stark more than anything now. But he never thought Tony would miss him. Not that much anyways. He cared about him more than anything, but it had never occurred to him that Tony cared just as much.    
  
Harley was right--it did hurt. Especially now.    
  
But it also reminded him of everything they shared.    
  
All the moments where Peter was worried that he was too overbearing or too much.    
  
All the times Peter thought that he loved Tony a little too much.    
  
Maybe he hadn’t after all. 

“He cared about you too,” Peter finally responded. “A lot. He always used to say that he wished he’d done more for you, that he hoped you understood how much he appreciated what you did.” That got Harley’s attention again, and he looked back up as Peter kept talking. “You’re one of the only people who’s ever been able to calm him down from a panic attack. And...I know he always missed you, even if he didn’t really show it.”    
  
Harley looked back at Peter, remembering the text from Tony.    
  
_ You matter a lot to me, bud.  _

Huh. 

Maybe he really did. 

“I’m really glad you’re here,” Harley said, smiling, just a little. “And I’m really glad we met.” 

Peter smiled back, and this time, it felt more genuine than any other smile he’d put on that day.    
  
“Yeah. I am too,” he said.    
  
And as they both headed back to their separate rooms, Harley felt like he wasn’t so alone after all.   
  
And as Peter opened his door and shut it behind him, he knew that it wouldn’t be easy, but maybe they could all get through it together. 

And as Morgan laid down in her bed, her Daddy’s voice playing in the background, she thought about her family, and how much they loved her. And she knew, deep down, that her Daddy still loved her too.    
  
Always and forever. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the story, Grace! And I hope everyone else did too! Hopefully I didn’t mess with your emotions too much (that's a lie, I hope I destroyed you in the best way possible ;) ).   
> If you liked the story, give it a heart, a comment, and maybe even a share! And feel free to send me more story ideas! After all, I’ve kinda got all the time in the world right now. ;)  
> And Grace, thank you for being such an amazing friend!! You're the best, and I love you so much!! <3 <3 <3


	6. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! 
> 
> I have to be honest, I never expected the reception on this to be as high as it was, and I'm super grateful for it! In fact, a while ago, somebody named Finn commented with this:
> 
> "Hi! Can you maybe do a continuation of this story, where Pepper gets partial custody of Harley and Peter or something? This is just so beautiful, and I want to hear more about them."
> 
> Finn, I tried to find you on AO3 so I could gift this chapter to you, but you must not have a link to your account, which is totally okay! I just hope this update finds you so you get what you wanted! I know it took me a while to write this little epilogue, but I hope it's still what you were looking for! 
> 
> And for everyone else, I hope you enjoy this last little tidbit! If any of you at any time want me to write something else for Marvel, let me know! 
> 
> P.S. I don't really know how custody agreements, partial or otherwise, work, and I tried to do some research, but it was hard to figure out how all of it applied to this specific situation, so I apologize for any inaccuracies. I tried. :)

_Three Months Later_

Pepper had always prided herself in staying calm and collected. She’d had her moments, of course, usually when it came to Tony, but when it came to most nerve-wracking situations, she could handle them with ease. 

So the anxious butterflies flitting through her body now were confusing her.   
  
What made this situation any different? 

She knew what made it different, even before she had asked herself the question.   
  
This was a big step, and she wasn’t sure if the boys would be as open to it as she was hoping. 

She knew she had May’s support whole-heartedly. Peter’s aunt had even teared up when Pepper had talked to her about what she wanted to do, and she’d agreed quickly. Pepper had made it clear that she had no intention of taking Peter away from her, but May hadn’t seemed the least bit concerned. According to May, Peter belonged with them just as much as he belonged with her.   
  
That had made Pepper smile, relief flowing through her. 

The conversation with Rachel had been a little harder. The two women had gotten coffee, and Pepper could feel the hesitation from Rachel before she’d even started talking. For as distant as Harley had made his mom out to be, she clearly cared about her son, and she’d seemed concerned about it all, particularly Harley’s relationship with his younger sister. Pepper, of course, knew they were close. Oftentimes, Harley’s own sister came up in his interactions with Morgan, and Pepper certainly didn’t want to ruin that relationship. All she wanted was for Harley to feel like she and Morgan could be his home too. So she’d explained that to Rachel, and told her to think about it. She’d assured her there was no rush, or no pressure. Her goal wasn’t to tear their family apart in any way. 

Two days later, she’d gotten a phone call.   
  
_“Hello?”_

_“He misses you,” Rachel says softly through the phone, and Pepper can’t help the surprise._

_“I’m sorry?” she questions, unsure how to react._

_“Harley. He misses you,” Rachel repeats. Her voice remains soft, and Pepper can’t quite place the emotion behind it. She doesn’t respond._

_“I think you might be right,” Rachel continues. “I think it’d be good for him to spend some time with you. And with Morgan. He’s happy there.”_

Ah, _Pepper thinks._ Now it makes sense. 

_“He doesn’t have to be here all the time,” Pepper clarifies immediately. “You know I don’t want to do that to you or your family. I just want him to feel safe here. To feel like he has a second home that loves him just as much as his own.”_

_“Maybe even more than his own,” Rachel murmurs, and before Pepper can combat, she continues talking. “I was never there for him, after his father. When he and Tony met, your husband certainly filled the role that I never could. I’ll always appreciate him for that. And now, here you are, ready to fill those shoes again, and all I’m trying to do is keep him away. That seems a little unfair, doesn’t it?”_ _  
_ _  
_ _Pepper thinks for a second, wanting to give the right answer._ _  
_ _  
_ _“He loves you, Rachel. He always will, no matter what’s happened. And he knows that you’ve done everything you could for him.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“I know,” Rachel cuts in, and her voice is a little stronger now. “But he loves you too. And he loves your little girl probably as much as he loves his own sister. You’re his family too, in every sense of the word. It may as well be official.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _Pepper can feel the relief start to flow through her, but she wants to be sure._ _  
_ _  
_ _“Rachel, are you positive? You know that I don’t want--”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“I know,” Rachel cuts her off, and this time, Pepper can hear the smile in her voice. “And I’m sure. It’ll be good for all of us, I think. Harley especially.” She laughs, then, adding: “Besides, who wouldn’t want to be able to say that they’re basically coparenting with the one and only Pepper Potts?” And at that, Pepper finally lets herself relax, laughing right alongside Rachel._

“Mrs. Stark?” a voice said, pulling her out of her thoughts, and she turned towards it.

“Yes?” she responded, trying and failing to hide the pain in her expression at the last name. 

“He’s ready for you.”

~

Pepper’s hands were clasped in her lap, nervously watching as the attorney looked through the partial custody agreement.   
  
“Alright, it seems like everything is in order,” he finally said, and Pepper couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped her.

“Both guardians’ signatures are okay?” Pepper asked.

“Yes. The only thing missing is your final signature at the bottom of...this page.” He slid a piece of paper across the desk, and she stared at it, but didn’t make a move to sign it. The attorney spoke up. “Have you talked to the kids yet?” 

Pepper looked up at him, then shook her head.

“I wanted to make sure that everything was in order first, just in case.” The attorney nodded in understanding. Pepper looked down at the paper again. She still couldn’t bring herself to sign it. 

“You don’t have to do this right now,” the attorney spoke up again. “Talk to them, if you’re worried. Then you can make a decision.” Pepper looked at him. The butterflies were still sitting in her stomach, and she silently cursed herself for being so nervous. She knew it would be fine, so why was her stomach in knots? 

“I think I’ll take you up on that,” she said, and the attorney nodded, collecting the papers and handing them back to her.

“Take all the time you need,” the man said. “We can finalize everything with the court after you’ve signed.” Pepper nodded again, thanking him before standing and walking out the door.

As she climbed into the car to head back to the lake house, she took a glance at the time. 5:08p. Harley and Peter would be at the house for dinner soon.

She glanced at the stack of papers on the seat next to her and took a deep breath. 

She really hoped that they didn’t think she was overstepping. 

She hoped that they liked the idea as much as she did. 

More than anything, she hoped that they’d be happy.

That was all she wanted for them. 

~ 

“Hi Mommy!”

When Pepper opened the door to the lake house, she smiled at her daughter’s excitement as the young girl ran over, wrapping her arms around her legs. Her expression quickly turned to one of surprise, however, when she saw Peter stand up from the couch and make his way over.

“Hi Ms. Potts,” he started, smiling brightly, but his expression quickly changed as he remembered that he wasn’t supposed to be here yet. “I’m _really_ sorry I’m here so early, but I was hanging out with Ned and he had to go do something with his mom so I figured I’d just head over early, but I didn’t know you weren’t home, otherwise I would’ve just waited. And I was just gonna go stall or something, but then Morgan saw me and she wanted to show me her new game and Happy said he should go pick up Harley anyways so I kind of wound up staying and hanging out with her which was, like, super fun, but I didn’t mean to intrude or anything so I’m really sorry--”

“Peter, honey,” Pepper said, finally cutting off his rambling. “You are always welcome, at any time. You know that.” Peter looked up at her, and when he saw the honesty in her eyes, he relaxed, smiling gratefully. Pepper quickly put down her bag and offered up a hug and Peter accepted, smiling bigger. When they released, Pepper put a hand on his shoulder.

“Happy should be bringing Harley over any minute. Since you’re here, want to help me set-up dinner?” Peter nodded enthusiastically.

“Me too, Mommy! Me too!” Morgan chimed in, and Pepper laughed, crouching down to pick her up.

“Well of course. I need my number one cooking partner.” She tickled Morgan’s sides and her daughter giggled as the three of them made their way to the kitchen. 

Before turning the corner, Pepper took one last look back at her bag, holding the oh-so-important documents.

Documents that could change everything. 

_God Pepper,_ she thought. _Stop being so dramatic. You’re starting to sound like Tony._

The thought actually made her smile as she turned back to her kids. 

Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. 

By the time Happy returned, Harley in tow, dinner was on the table ready to go. Pepper had never shied away from a fancy meal, especially not when it came to these boys--one of whom she knew ate enough for all of them combined--so the spread on the table was impressive. 

As everyone started to dig in, stories and life updates already started to fly, and Pepper found herself smiling brighter already, the cloud that had sat over the house since Tony already starting to fade, just the slightest. Even after Peter accidentally spit his drink everywhere, courtesy of Harley, per the usual, she couldn’t help but laugh as she tried to clean up the mess.

When she went to sit back down, her gaze landed on her bag sitting on the table in the other room, and she couldn’t help the way her breath caught a little as she thought about next steps. She hated this nervous feeling, but she just couldn’t shake it. What if they didn’t respond well at all?

Happy seemed to notice her discomfort, and he followed her gaze before turning back to her. They locked eyes, and he gave her a reassuring smile before nodding. He leaned closer, taking advantage of the three kids giggling at more antics to give her words of comfort.

“They’re going to love it,” Happy whispered, gently. “You know they will. And...you know he would love it too.” Pepper nodded. She knew he was right, but the nerves didn’t subside. Nonetheless, she turned her focus back to the dinner, smile breaking out again at seeing the grins on the three kids’ faces. 

She wanted to keep this moment forever. 

“Okay,” Pepper spoke up, trying to regain some control of the craziness. “I’m thinking after dinner, maybe game night?” She turned her attention to Morgan pointedly. “Little miss here just got a new game that she insists _everybody_ has to play, in case you needed more convincing.”

“Yes!! We need to play my game, ‘cause it’s the best game EVER and Petey already kinda played it but Harley didn’t and you’re gonna LOVE it and we ALL have to play it TOGETHER ‘cause then it’ll be WAY more fun!” Harley and Peter both laughed, smiles growing.

“Well, can’t exactly say no to that, can I?” Harley said with a smile before standing up to clear away the dishes.

“Oh Harley, don’t worry about it sweetheart, I can take care of that.” Harley shrugged it off, smiling.

“It’s no big. Peter helped with dinner, I can help with clean-up.” Pepper smiled at him, but got up to help him nonetheless.

When the dishes were clear, everybody else headed to the living room, and Morgan excitedly started setting up the game. Several minutes later, Pepper entered the room carrying a tray of hot chocolate, and everyone in the room took one happily. In grabbing her hot chocolate, Morgan briefly forgot about the game, and Pepper took the opportunity quickly.

“Before we start the game,” she started, looking at Peter and Harley, and she was immediately thrown off by the emotion in her voice. _Dammit Pepper, keep it together._ “I wanted to talk to you both about something.” She then glanced over at her daughter and gave her a smile. “You too, honeybug. Think you can sit nice and quiet for Mommy for a minute?” Morgan nodded enthusiastically, curling up into criss-cross applesauce and gripping her hot chocolate, causing Pepper to smile wider before turning back to the boys. 

“What is it, Ms. Potts?” Peter asked, concern and confusion clear.

“Yeah, is everything okay?” Harley continued, the same emotion in his tone. 

“Yes,” Pepper responded. “At least, I hope so.” She then reached into her bag and pulled out the papers before holding them out to the both of them. “I’d...like you to look at this, and tell me what you think.” 

Both boys looked at each other, then back at her before Peter finally reached out, taking the papers from her. The two scooted closer to each other, making it easier to read together. 

“Custody agreement?” they both suddenly said at the same time, and Harley looked up at Pepper in surprise, but before she could say anything, Peter nudged him and pointed to something on the page. 

“Those are our names...” Peter whispered. As his eyes continued to scan the pages, he finally looked back up at Pepper, and she could see the tears in his eyes. 

“You want custody of us?” the teen’s voice came out quiet, and Pepper felt her stomach twist. _Was that a good thing? Was he happy? Was he upset?_

“Only partial custody,” she blurted out quickly before telling herself to calm down. “And only if you want to. Your aunt will still have custody, of course, and the same goes for you and your mom, Harley. You can spend as much time as you want wherever you want. But I thought it might be...nice, for this to be a second home for you both.” 

Peter looked back down at the papers, and this time, it was Harley’s turn to look at her, bewilderment coating his features. 

“Are you serious?” he asked, and again, Pepper couldn’t read it. _Did he like it? Or was that frustration?_

“Like I said, only if you want to,” Pepper made clear again, still unsure of how they were taking it. “I just...I felt like you both seemed to like it here, and I know Morgan and I certainly like having you here.” She paused, then, sighing, working up the courage to continue. “Tony always saw you both as family, even if he never really showed it. I think you both know that.” Harley and Peter looked up at her then, listening. “This has been hard, for everyone, but I think--I _know_ , that having each other has made it a little easier, for all of us. And I guess I figured that maybe, if you were both okay with it, it was about time to make things a little more official.” She glanced over at Happy, sitting in a chair in the corner. He smiled at her again, and she willed herself to take a deep breath. 

When she finally turned back to the boys again, they were both staring at her. No one spoke for a while. Even Morgan, despite her usual chatty personality, was quiet, seemingly having caught on to the seriousness of the conversation. The question still hung in the air, and neither teen had made a move to answer. Harley’s gaze never left Pepper’s, but Peter’s kept shifting from the paper, to Pepper, then back to the paper again.

“You really mean it?” Harley finally spoke up, and this time, it wasn’t hard to read at all, and Pepper could feel the knots in her stomach slowly unwinding. Because this time, she could hear the hope. 

“All I have to do is sign one more line and it’s done,” she said, and a smile spread across her face. “This home would be just as much yours as it already is.” Peter looked up at her again, and she could see the tears brimming in his eyes, but she could tell now that they weren’t sad tears--they were tears of joy.

“Yes,” Peter whispered, then louder: “Yes.” Harley looked at Peter, then looked back at Pepper, nodding in agreement.

“Me too,” he said, definitely. “No question about it.” And as if they’d planned in, both boys practically hurled themselves into Pepper’s arms. She stumbled slightly, but caught them both, wrapping her arms around the teens as tightly as she could. She could feel her own eyes brimming with tears as they squeezed her back. They held the embrace for what, to an outsider, may have seemed like years, but to them, it wasn’t long enough. 

When they finally did release, the boys situated themselves back on the couch before Peter turned to Pepper again, eyes still misty.

“Thank you,” he said, softly. “For...for everything.” Harley nodded, agreeing.

“I second that,” he said. “You’ve always been amazing, but this is...wow,” he finished, trailing off. 

Pepper just smiled at them. “You don’t ever need to thank me. It’s just what you do when you love someone.” The boys smiled back, but before anyone could say anything else, Morgan entered the conversation.

“So does this mean Harley and Peter are my brothers now?” she asked. Pepper laughed, and both boys laughed with her.

“In a sense, yes,” Pepper said, looking at the two teens. “It certainly means they might be spending a lot more time here.” She then turned back to her daughter. “Is that okay?”

Morgan didn’t even hesitate.

“That’s the BEST! Petey and Harley can be my brothers, and we can play even more games, and go outside even more, and do lots and lots and LOTS of things together!” 

Without warning, not unlike what the boys had done to Pepper, Morgan then jumped up and towards her new brothers, somehow managing to land on both of their laps simultaneously. However, given the awkward position, if it wasn’t for Peter’s quick reflexes, she probably would’ve fallen off. 

“Whoa, careful there, Morgs,” Peter said, laughing. “Rule number one of being your big brothers is keeping you from getting hurt, ya know.” With her balance restored, though, he immediately started to tickle her, and Morgan shrieked, calling out for solace from her other brother.

“Harley! Save me! Petey’s attacking me.”

“I’m on it, Mo!” he cried, making a grand gesture of pulling her from Peter’s grasp and swinging her into the air and away. They made a break for it, running around the couch, and Peter joined them, laughing and chasing behind them. Pepper laughed herself at the antics as she collected the glasses and custody papers before making her way back to the kitchen. She put everything in the sink before taking the papers over to the counter, flipping to the last page. 

“You know, I may not be right about everything, but I’m glad I was right about this,” Happy said, and Pepper looked up to see him standing in the doorway. She rolled her eyes at the dramatics, but smiled nonetheless. 

“Yeah. I’m glad you were too.” She quickly crossed to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Thank you for everything, Hap,” she continued, smiling softly at him. He returned the smile, but then quickly straightened up, all business.

“At your service, Ms. Potts.” She rolled her eyes again, but then he winked, and they both laughed. Suddenly, the shrieking from the living room increased as Morgan presumably started getting tickled again, and Happy groaned a little, but it was filled with affection.

“I should probably make sure they don’t break anything,” he said, and Pepper nodded in agreement, unable to hide her smile as he waltzed out of the room and back to the living room. She caught him yelling a “careful with the furniture!” as he walked away, and she rolled her eyes again, but, just like Happy’s groan, it was filled with affection.

These kids--and she could say _kids_ now--could only make her smile.

She walked back to the papers on the counter and reached for a pen, staring at the dotted line. With careful precision, she started writing her signature, but she stopped when she got to the “R” in Pepper. She looked up in thought, and she only hesitated for a moment before she finished it with “Stark.”

“Just for you, Tony,” she whispered to the air, and instead of crying, this time, she smiled.

She had been right.

The document _had_ changed everything.

It had changed everything for the better. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I hope you all enjoyed! 
> 
> Come say hi on Tumblr! @kitkatwinchester


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